A26932:868
Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor
Gildas Salvianus, the reformed pastor showing the nature of the pastoral work, especially in private instruction and catechizing : with an open confession of our too open sins : prepared for a day of humiliation kept at Worcester, Decemb. 4, 1655 by the ministers of that county, who subscribed the agreement for catechizing and personal instruction at their entrance upon that work / by their unworthy fellow-servant, Richard Baxter ...Gildas Salvianus, the reformed pastor shewing the nature of the pastoral work, especially in private instruction and catechizing : with an open confession of our too open sins : prepared for a day of humiliation kept at Worcester, Decemb. 4, 1655 by the ministers of that county, who subscribed the agreement for catechizing and personal instruction at their entrance upon that work / by their unworthy fellow-servant, Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by Robert White for Nevil Simmons, 1656
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. Be sure to be still with them your selves.
2. Let not the main exercises of the meeting be such as tend to contention, or to private mens proud ostentation of their parts, but such as tend to the edification of the people: Not for private men to preach or expound Scripture, nor (as some do) to let every one of them speak to questions of their own propounding; but to repeat the Sermons that you have preached, & to call upon God, and sing his Praise.
2. Let not the main exercises of the meeting be such as tend to contention, or to private mens proud ostentation of their parts, but such as tend to the edification of the people: Not for private men to preach or expound Scripture, nor (as some do) to let every one of them speak to questions of their own propounding; but to repeat the Sermons that you have preacht, & to call upon God, and sing his Praise.
3. Yet let there be some opportunity for them to speak, and appear in a learning way. To which purpose, ⟨p. 468⟩when you have done repeating, let all that are present know, that if they doubt of any thing that was delivered, or would have any thing made plainer to them, or would be resolved in any thing else that concerneth the subject in hand (or any other in case of need) you desire them to propound their doubts. And so let them have the liberty of questioning as learners, while you remain the Teacher, and resolve all the doubts your selves, and do not set them on disputing, by leaving it to them to make the answer. And if you have not competent abilities ex tempore, to resolve their doubts, you were much better let pass this too: but if you have, it will be of very great use, both for their edification, and the maintaining of order, and their necessary dependence on you.